


i'll stop the world (and melt with you)

by nominormiracle



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Sky High AU, on a quest to adapt all 2000s classics for lesbians, teenage superhero softies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-05-29
Packaged: 2018-07-10 21:05:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7006831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nominormiracle/pseuds/nominormiracle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke Griffin is lucky to have not just one, but two superhero parents. Or, at least, that's what everyone keeps telling her. </p><p>There are just two small problems...she hasn't gotten her powers yet and she can't stop thinking about the daughter of her parents' arch-nemesis.</p><p>or</p><p>The Sky High / Clexa AU you never knew you wanted</p>
            </blockquote>





	i'll stop the world (and melt with you)

**Author's Note:**

> will weave in and out of the plot of the original masterpiece. some liberties taken. this is the first ff i've written in years. 
> 
> no update schedule but feel free to bother me on my sideblog @heauxmow

_It's going to be a perfect September day_ , Clarke realizes as she opens the blinds. There isn't a cloud in sight and a slight breeze sends the aligned neighborhood trees rustling in waves. Three houses down, a man kisses his husband on the cheek goodbye and hops in his car. She can hear her father whistling on the staircase beyond her door. One couldn’t ask for a nicer day. It would also probably be the worst day of her life.

Clarke turns back to her bedroom, staring forlornly at the Britney Spears poster on the wall. Beside it hangs her calendar, its X’s creeping steadily toward the current date — September 8th — the first day of school. While other teenagers might be arranging their outfits, getting their hair just right, Clarke finds herself in an inescapable spasm of panic. She can neither move nor stop moving it seems, as she slowly spins toward her closed closet door, hands clenching then unclenching. _Right, at the very least I can dress well to meet the impending apocalypse._

 _Maybe if I’m a little late for school some convenient nuclear bombs might destroy the planet before first period._ Her parents would love that. Only problem is that they would stop the mastermind behind the plot before it could put Clarke out of her misery. They would also do this in time for breakfast. _Having superheroes for parents ruins even the best teenage melodrama bullshit_.

Sighing, Clarke sits on her workout bench, cradling her head in her palms. “I can’t do this.” She presses the heels of both hands into her eyes, refusing to let herself get worked up over it. She looks up at the calendar again, flipping back to June. _SUMMER GOALS: GET SWOL + POWER_. It seemed funny at the time, a probable coping mechanism for what was already proving to be an unbearable wait for her power to come. She was sure, then, that she would get it before the start of the new term.

In the meantime, she lied to both her parents about her abilities. They were under the impression she had inherited her father’s super strength — ‘ _a little showy if you ask me but, oh well, congratulations Clarke’_ — her mother’s disappointment had been the least of her problems at the time. Honestly, Clarke would’ve been happy with super strength or healing abilities. Hell, she would be happy with just about anything at this point. The bus to Sky High is arriving in thirty minutes and she can't even bring herself to consider an outfit. Clarke hears the telltale footsteps on the staircase again. This time they're followed by a voice. She scrambles back onto the bench press, hanging her arms from the bar.

“Clarke, your mother’s got breakfast on the table and you’re already running late. We don’t want you going hungry into your assignation test.” Jake swings the door open just in time to see Clarke huffing under the 300 pound weights. She counts out 500 and wipes her brow. “Hey Dad, just trying to get in some lifting before school.” She smiles weakly at him, opening her closet to throw on her blue leather jacket and boots. “Ah, well it’s a good idea to keep the weights that low. You know what they say - high reps, low weights is how you really improve. You shouldn’t be so nervous though, Clarke. Just pick up grumpy Gus and send him flying into the bleachers. He’ll make you a hero and pull the funniest angry face you’ve ever seen. Trust me. I remember it well from school.” He reaches over, ruffling Clarke’s hair quickly before whistling back down the stairs.

Clarke grabs her backpack, and follows him downstairs to the kitchen. Her mom sits at the table, coffee in one hand, body angled toward the morning news on the television. The paper, unfolded in front of her, is a series of real estate listings. “There you are. I’ve made you eggs and bacon, but you’re barely going to have time to eat them. Your Dad and I have to get to an open house in an hour so we’ll see you off to the bus.” Abby looks back down to the paper, checking off each listing with a pen.

At that moment, through the garden door, Raven comes shuffling into the house, her fingers twisting in the straps of her red backpack. She plucks an apple off the counter then heaves herself on top of it. Her leg brace clinks against the cabinets as she swings her legs. “Hey Mrs. Griffin, looking good. I like the sweater, really matches your eyes.” Raven smirks at Clarke, taking another bite.

“Raven, that’s very sweet, but as I’ve told you every other morning, I’m married and I used to change your diapers, so keep dreaming.” Abby sips her coffee and turns back to the newscast. Clarke wanders over to the counter, stealing the half-eaten apple out of Raven’s hand and smacking her on the forehead with it. “Idiot, stop hitting on my mom.” Raven chuckles, wiggling her fingers at the TV, which flicker along with the lights. The microwave beeps in tune to Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ as Clarke faux-gags in the background. _Damn technopaths_. “Look, ever since Finn moved away I’ve been looking for love in only the most hopeless places. The Never-Gonna-Happen scenarios are the only thing keeping me this beautiful and upbeat, which is lucky considering how much fun you’ve been lately,” she says, lowering her voice to a whisper, “Any changes last night? I mean, you were the first girl in our class to get her period. If you’re so quick to womanhood, why are you so slow to powers? I mean, I’m telling you, I feel like they must be connected, genetically or whatever. I should ask—“ Her sentence chokes off as Clarke shoves the apple back into her mouth.

Clarke speaks over her friend’s shoulder, keeping their conversation private. “Raven, forget it. I could honestly go my whole life without hearing you flirt with my mom ever again. As for that other thing, I don’t wanna talk about it here. Or anywhere, really.”

“Not talking about it won’t make the problem go away,” Raven replies.

“You’re making it sound like I’m pregnant or something. Actually, that would be slightly less awful than this.”

Raven laughs. “Clarke, you’re terrible around children. Remember that time you babysat Finn’s niece and offered her a drink when she started crying during Bambi?”

“That was one time! Anyway, it was a reflex. I offer everyone a drink in a crisis. You should be offering me one right now.”

“Beer hasn’t given you any super powers yet so I wouldn’t count on it.”

“Oh? What do you call that last game of beer pong? I annihilated you.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

Jake and Abby finish up their breakfasts, pouring over the shared checklist. “Abby, I think it’s best that I take care of the tours while you pass out the flyers. We don’t need another repeat like the Johnsons’ incident.”

“Hey! It’s not my fault I’ve got less than average passion for furnishings and crown-moulding. If I just got a job at the hospital instead, I’d probably be a lot more interested in my ‘work’!”

“Okay, but if you worked at the hospital all the doctors would be out of business. Hell, there’d be no more need for the hospital at all. You could just heal any Dick or Mary that walked through the door. Don’t you think that would be a little suspicious?”

“Jake, I would let a few people bleed here and there for the sake of appearances.”

Raven chuckles. “Wow, Mrs. Griffin, that’s a bit dark for a Monday morning, don’t you think?”

Abby smirks at the two girls from the corner of her eye, turning her attention to the news report where a blonde woman in a pink blazer comments on the still-roaring wildfires out by the coast. Hundreds of people have been evacuated while others are trapped in collapsing houses.

“Abby, looks like we might have to postpone the tours. If we’re lucky, maybe we can take care of this in time.”

Jake and Abby grasp hands, then turn towards a bookshelf behind the living room couch. Jake slides it to the right, revealing a vault-like door, behind which both of them quickly disappear. They emerge just a few minutes later in their hero getups, latex and all.

“Clarke, do you ever get sick of seeing your Dad in tights?” Raven teases.

“Mostly, I just wish he’d wear those underwear on the inside, not the outside,” Clarke says, grimly.

“Kids, it looks like we’ll have to miss your bus as well. Good luck to the both of you today. Your father and I met at Sky High so don’t go falling in love your first day. There are more important things to worry about, including your assignation test. We’re looking forward to having two more bonafide heroes around,” Abby says before striding out the door. Jake gives each girl a final ruffle of the hair then follows her out, immediately launching them both into the air.

Raven fiddles with the NASA patch on her backpack. “What do you think they’ll say when they find out?”

Clarke turns her chin down and purses her lips. “They’ll mostly be disappointed, not mad. That’s what makes it worse.”

Raven’s mouth curves downward in sympathy. From her jeans’ back pocket, Clarke hears ‘Stand By Me’ begin playing at full volume. “Raven, I appreciate the gesture, but I thought I told you to leave my phone alone. I don’t need you peeking in on my sexts from across Home Room again.”

“Mr Kane still doesn’t know why I was laughing so hard. Little did he know that you and Niylah were knocking digital kitties.” She lifts one eyebrow.

“Like I said, leave my phone out of it. Also never say the phrase _knocking digital kitties_ ever again if you want to make any friends today.”

“I’ll just add myself on Facebook and follow myself on Instagram from everyones’ phones. You know, leave them wondering who that hot Latina with the killer leg brace is.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The two girls hear a screeching of breaks from the driveway. “Looks like you’re screwed, Griffin. Let’s go.”

“Oh yeah, that’s real encouraging. Thanks, Raven.” Clarke tugs her out the door by her backpack strap, approaching the yellow bus as though it were full of electric chairs. The bus looks the same as the one Raven and she had taken to their civilian school for so many years, complete with dingy rows of windows and plastic covered seats. The doors shudder open and behind them sits a sharp-faced boy, probably not much older than them - maybe 19 or 20 years old. He turns toward them, his bird-like eyes squinting at Clarke. “Well, I’ll be…I’m honored to be driving the daughter of MediGal and The Engineer to her first day at Sky High, practically pissing in my pants with excitement,” he says, faking a little bow from his raised seat behind the wheel. “Just don’t go showboating on this hunk of crap, I don’t stand for any backseat funny business.”

“You sure about that, Murphy?” A voice comes from behind the driver, followed by a tall, dark-haired boy with curly hair. “You’re always bragging about that one time you brought Emori on here and—“

“Shut it Blake!” The boy, seemingly the oldest on the bus, turns to Clarke and Raven. “Did I hear Murphy correctly? You’re the Engineer and MediGal’s daughter? Principal Jaha has been talking you up ever since Wells started last year. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you in my Hero’s History course.” At that, he lifts up his pile of textbooks. “We’ll start with the who the Ancient Greeks described as Demi-Gods. These are actually our heroic ancestors if you look closely at the lineages, so —“

“More like ‘Ancient Geek’ big brother. Leave the poor girls alone!” A slim, but muscular girl interrupts him from behind, peeking her head around to look at Clarke and Raven. She musses Murphy’s hair with her fingers, which he swats away with his free arm. “Let’s get going, yeah Murph? I’d like to get to school before I go gray.”

Clarke laughs at the siblings’ antics, glancing at Raven who's gone mysteriously quiet beside her. Normally, Raven Reyes is the center of any conversation, an endless source of bad jokes and inappropriate flirting. Not now, though. Now, Raven is silent, her mouth hanging slightly ajar as she stares at the Blake girl, still fiddling with her NASA patch. Clarke decides to get this conversation on the move, despite usually being the less sociable one of the two.

“Hey, I’m Clarke Griffin.” She reaches out an open palm that the girl smacks away, instead punching Clarke none-too-lightly in the shoulder. “Yeah no kidding, we know exactly who you are. You’re basically Super-Royalty, Princess.” Clarke cringes. The girl laughs briefly before turning to Raven, reaching out a hand to her instead. “And you are,” she asks.

Raven snaps back into action at that, a blush rising high in her tan cheeks, only noticeable to Clarke who stares inquiringly at her. Raven reaches a slow arm out, introducing herself, “Reyes. Raven Reyes.”

“Got it, 007. I’m Octavia Blake and this is my older brother Bellamy. He’s a teacher, but he rides the bus to ‘keep me company.’” She scans down Raven’s figure, landing on her shin, “You’ve got a pretty complex brace there. Where’d you get it?”

“I made it myself,” Raven smirks, “it’s pretty incredible if I might toot my own horn or shake my own metal leg or whatever the phrase should be, but it does make getting on rickety yellow buses a little difficult.” At that, Murphy turns to them once again, “Sorry, this is a bus to a super-school, you know? It’s not handicap accessible.”

Clarke bristles at his attitude, immediately thinking of the campaign she would start at school to shut him up for good. Raven had made the brace two years ago after getting in a fairly serious car accident. Her leg had been crushed so badly that even Abby couldn’t properly heal it and the brace made her the victim of a year of bullying at their old school. Clarke had kicked every kid in the shin who made a snide remark and she was tempted to treat Murphy to the same. She might not actually have super-strength, but she could still make a teenage boy cry. _If only that skill would get me through the assignation test._

Octavia smacks Murphy in the back of his neck. “Ignore him. Bellamy and I grew up with him and he’s just bitter because he never got his power, so he’s stuck driving this bus.” Clarke freezes at that, glancing up at Murphy again who has looked downward in shame. _Is this what will happen to me? Driving kids to school where they’ll become heroes while I just get sadder?_ She hopes not.

While Clarke is lost in thought, Octavia climbs down the bus stairs to help Raven up them and into one of the front seats. Raven then reaches into her bag for her bottle of water, struggling to find it. Octavia looks at her steadily, as though wound up for any problem Raven might have. Clarke is unused to seeing someone take such a quick interest in her friend’s wellbeing. Even Raven’s mother doesn't take much of an interest, ashamed of having a super-child with what she called a “severe technical difficult.” Raven jokes about the phrase, considering her status as a technopath, but Clarke knows that it needles at her constantly how little her mother understands her daily physical struggle.

“I just forgot my water bottle in Griffin’s house. Don’t worry about it. We’ve gotta get going anyway,” Raven says.

“Where is it?” Octavia looks back at Clarke.

“It’s on the kitchen counter,” Raven replies.

“Do you have your key on you,” Octavia gestures to Clarke. She hands it to her cautiously, wondering why she insists on taking the time to go back through Clarke’s house to get it.

Then, just as suddenly as she grabs them she's gone. Like, literally gone in thin air. Bellamy shakes his head and sighs. “She never misses a chance to use that speed.” Raven grins when Octavia returns less than ten seconds later, water bottle in hand along with her half-eaten apple. “Sorry that took so long,” she sighs.

“Oh yeah, absolute ages. You’re a real slow-poke you know.”

“Don’t start with that. Octavia’s very competitive and I don’t need her running laps when we get to school just to prove her worth to someone she’s just met,” Bellamy says, grabbing his sister by the shoulder and shoving her into the seat beside him, a few rows back. “Trust me, she’s already proved herself plenty to me,” Raven says, so quietly that even Clarke can barely hear her.

“Hey, idiot, remember what my Mom said? ‘Don’t go falling in love on the first day’? We haven’t even made it to school so cool it with dark and feisty back there.” Clarke draws a deep breath and redirects her attention out the window. She stares out at the familiar street, the perfect trees, the perfect houses, the perfect weather. How many years had she spent as a child looking forward to this day? How often had she listen to her parents wax romantic about Sky High and how incredible it would be to spend every day around kids who knew exactly what it was like to have parents like Clarke’s? Except, Clarke is surely en route to a life of isolation and ridicule. Clarke had to be the only person, other than Murphy, who would attend Sky High with no powers, not even a measly sidekick ability.

As the bus pulls out of the interweaving suburban streets and onto the highway’s solitary feeder road, it gains speed. Clarke looks up, thinking that maybe Octavia had grabbed the wheel from Murphy, but it's still the back of his greasy head in front of them. Checking behind them, Clarke notices that all the older students are unfazed by the ludicrous speed. Ahead, there's a sharp curve, which inevitably leads back to the interstate, but Murphy makes no indication of turning or slowing down. _Maybe I’ll get that death wish after all._

Just before the road’s bend, Murphy pulls back a large lever to his left. Suddenly, the bus lurches backward as though it's speeding up an invisible ramp. Then, it leaves the ground all together, teetering briefly right and left, before righting itself on a direct path into the sparse, fluffy clouds above. Raven and Clarke stare out the window, mouths open. Clarke had been airlifted by her father only once and it was nothing like this. When Jake flies, it's a full body experience. This feels not unlike sitting in Economy Class on a very shitty plane.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve now reached cruising altitude. Please, do not remove your seat belts as you might die. Or worse, irritate me.” Murphy speaks into the microphone, keeping his eyes straight ahead. Clarke watches the myriad neighborhoods and strip malls form snakelike patterns on the ground until they're too tiny to differentiate from each other. Raven is busy reading her Digital Digest magazine, humming some song under her breath and glancing not-so-covertly back at Octavia and Bellamy. The siblings aren't speaking to each other either. Bellamy’s face is almost completely concealed by his large History book while Octavia shakes one leg restlessly, carving something into the side of the bus with what looks like a pen cap. Clarke pays little attention to the remaining students on the bus, instead staring down at her palms as though they might produce anything other than nervous sweat. _Oceanic abilities? Elemental powers? Nah, just cowardice. Nice._

They’ve been in the air maybe twenty minutes when Murphy’s voice comes over the speaker once again: “Alright, mutants. This ain’t X-Men so as we approach Sky High, I’m contractually obliged to explain the school’s location and origins. Sky High was founded four generations ago in order to service the super-kids of the tri-state area. The school hangs 50,000 feet in the air, a full 10,000 higher than most commercial airliners. We’re approaching that height now, which means that I’ve engaged the oxygenation mechanism to its greatest capability. The school itself has ten of these oxygenation mechanisms in order to keep y’all breathing or whatever. It stays afloat because of a focused magnetic field, created in 1927 by Madame Polaris, a technopath of astounding ability. Her contributions led to the technopath courses specifically offered at Sky High to all hero students. The field is maintained by a team of student and teacher technopaths, led by Doctor Titus. All students with flight capabilities, both of the transfigurative and supernatural kind, are prohibited from flying outside the constraints of the hover-campus. They are allowed, however, to fly to and from school after attaining their official license.”

As Murphy’s speech ends, the bus bursts through the cloudy haze and comes level with what appears to be a very large, flat disc. On it sits a building not unlike Raven and Clarke’s former high school, complete with playing field and track, sparse front gardens, and a landing deck for the bus. “This bus will depart the school at quarter to four in the afternoon. If you’re late for my bus, you can sleep here. Trust me, I don’t care. Welcome to Sky High.” They make a surprisingly soft landing alongside the other yellow buses. The seat belts retract on their own, but most of the new students, including Raven and Clarke, are too astonished by the journey to stand up immediately. The first to rise are Bellamy and Octavia. They follow each other off the bus, bickering over Octavia’s choice in schedule. As they pass Raven and Clarke, Raven seems suddenly very interested in the state of her boots.

“I’ve never known you to be so shy, Raven,” Clarke pokes her friend in the side.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Griffin.” Raven chews her bottom lip.

 

* * *

 

The two girls are the last off the bus. The view that greets them is both familiar and unbelievable at the same time. Several cliques of students are scattered across the front courtyard. A group of geeky kids sits in a circle, talking, while behind them a group of cheerleaders practice their routine.

As Clarke and Raven walk by, one particular cheerleader, a tall girl with striking cheekbones and blonde hair, looks over at them. Her pom-pons hang limply from her hands as she watches them, as though studying them closely for an upcoming exam. “What’s up with the beautiful, scary one?” Raven asks Clarke, equally unsettled by the girl’s gaze. “That’s Anya, she’s a senior and head cheerleader,” comes a voice to Raven’s right. A diminutive boy with goggles dangling from his neck smiles at the girls, “I’m Jasper Jordan, your faithful servant. And this is my friend, Monty.” He wraps his arm around the neck of an asian boy, wearing a powder blue polo buttoned all the way up his neck. Clarke smiles, “I’m Clarke and this is Raven. What’s that girl’s deal? She won’t stop staring at us.” Jasper glances quickly in both directions before lowering his voice, “She’s a telepath. My girlfriend, Maya, already goes here and she said that Anya can read minds from hundreds of feet away, even through walls! If that weren’t intimidating enough, she’s beautiful too.” Monty chuckles at his friend, “Jas, you do realize that whispering won’t keep this conversation private, right? She probably just heard you call her beautiful either way.” Jasper’s eyes widen, flickering back to Anya who smirks at them. She takes one last hard glance at Clarke before turning back to her group of cheer-cronies.

“Hey Griffin, think she was checking you out?” Raven winks.

“I’m not so sure that’s what that was, but doesn’t hurt to have a pretty girl look at you I guess…” Clarke sighs.

The encounter was unsettling, leaving Clarke paranoid that the popular girl might’ve heard her thinking about being powerless. But still, that sensation of being searched seemed deeper than just that secret, as though the girl were trying to excavate Clarke’s layers down to their very origins. Unnerved, Clarke turns back to the current conversation.

“—So we’re all new students. Very cool! I’m so pumped for the assignation test. I’m gonna rock it, naturally.” Jasper flexes his skinny arms while Monty shakes his head. About five seconds before his phone dings with a text message, Raven taps him on the shoulder, announcing that his boyfriend's currently wondering whether Monty has saved him a bacon roll or not. Jasper gapes at her, “Are you a telepath too?” He slams his hands over his ears, diverting his eyes which had previously been focused somewhere below Clarke’s chin. Raven bursts out laughing and Monty grins as well. “You’re a technopath,” he says, looking down at his phone, “I’m so jealous! I mean, I’m pretty good with coding, but I’ll never be able to get on your level. Technopaths are like musicians, true visionaries. The rest of us are just trying to follow along with your rhythm.”

Raven smiles smugly as Clarke leans her face into her hands. She was never going to hear the end of that speech. She’d probably have to quote it at Raven’s funeral in a zillion years. And her wedding. Raven continues, “Anyway, you two feel like giving away your powers or are you saving them for the assignation test?” Jasper covers his mouth, but Monty replies, “I can manipulate frequencies.” Raven looks at him curiously, “What exactly does that mean?” Monty plays a song from his phone speakers, some piano melody. He gestures his hand in an upward arc as the melody ascends in pitch, quickly reaching an unbearable squeak.

“Christ, well you can certainly deafen someone with that trick.” Raven rubs at one ear, turning the volume down on Monty’s phone with her pinky finger. Glancing at her father’s watch, Clarke realizes there's only ten minutes left before they would file into the gym and begin the assignation test. Her empty stomach churns. At this point, there's no possible escape route, but the prospect of having nothing to show the gym teacher terrifies her. Monty’s gift is sure to land him a spot in the sidekick route, but at least it's something.

As she and Raven sit on the school’s front stoop, waiting for the day to officially begin, Clarke indulges in some people-watching for the sake of distraction. Her gaze moves quickly from the cheerleaders to a handsome boy who Monty runs up to and hugs. _That must be the boyfriend_. On some further benches sit a group of elementally gifted kids who take turns transforming a snowball into water, then a rock, then ice again. A few senior students come floating up from below the school, landing smoothly in front of the buses and readjusting their backpacks. Clarke gazes at them jealously. Above all, she’s always wanted to inherit her father’s flight ability. It's the possibility of escape, freedom, that she most envies, the idea that at any moment she could simply take off, leave the Earth and go somewhere absolutely quiet. Now, she's attending school 50,000 ft in the air, but somehow she feels even more trapped than those days she’d spent bored in fourth period, counting down the hours until junior year when her parents would let her transfer to Sky High. It all seems like such a waste now. She should’ve tried more in math and science class, maybe studied to be a doctor or artist, seeing as her future as a successful superhero is growing dimmer by the second.

A girl on the farthest bench from the front door halts her thoughts. She sits very still, back against the table instead of facing it. Her hair hangs in several dark braids and curls, pushed over one shoulder and glinting gold in each passing ray of light. She wears black jeans and a loose button-down tunic in a deep green color. Clarke can't see much in terms of her face, but even from this distance, the girl is clearly stunning.

She's also glaring right at Clarke. It's downright impressive how she can express such dislike from hundreds of feet away. Clarke quickly turns her eyes back to Raven, wondering if the girl was uncomfortable with her looking or if she just plain hated the look of her. Why is the girl sitting alone? Even the geeky kids have a group to sit in and no one else is on their own studying as it's the first day of school. But this girl, whoever she is, clearly wants to be as far away from the human traffic of the courtyard as possible. _I can relate_.

 

* * *

 

 

The bell rings. Clarke sighs, entering the front doors in a throng of other students, clasping Raven’s hand in hers as they find their seats in the gymnasium for the start-of-year assembly. She smiles at Mr Jaha from the third row, waving Wells over to sit with her and Raven. Wells Jaha is her other oldest friend. While Raven and her had gone to school together and lived in the same neighborhood their entire lives, Wells and Clarke met solely through their parents’ relationship. Thelonius, his father, is best friends with her dad. Wells’ mom died when he was three from a heart attack, but Abby and Jake had helped Thelonius as much as possible. Wells and his dad moved into the city when he was nine, but despite the time spent apart, Clarke and Wells remained completely comfortable around each other.

Raven and Wells have met a handful of times throughout the years, but hold a begrudging tolerance for the other. Wells dislikes Raven’s snark and sexual innuendos while Raven is jealous of Clarke’s reliance on his friendship, even after he had moved away. Wells is a year older than them, making him a senior this year.

“Looking forward to another of your dad’s inspirational speeches,” Clarke teases, giving him a hug.

“I usually just zone out at this point. He gives the same speech here every year anyway.” Wells shrugs and begins talking politely with Raven about her summer. They are interrupted by Mr Jaha clearing his throat, using his supersonic power to project his voice in surround sound sans microphone. He welcomes the student body, gives a brief description of Sky High’s historic founding, which Clarke can see Bellamy Blake nodding eagerly to from the front row, before instructing the returning students to get to their first classes. Most of the crowd disperses through the exits, including Wells and the faculty, leaving behind a group of roughly 30 students. Clarke recognizes Jasper and Monty sitting to her right. A girl with a nasty facial scar sits three rows above them with another girl. In the farthest corner, top left, sits the glaring girl from the courtyard.

The girl watches the last few students exit and from this new angle Clarke can see her face much more clearly than before. She feels her hands get sweaty again, the tips of her ears burning just slightly, because _wow_. She’s never seen a girl this beautiful in her life. It seems like such an exaggerated thought, but she's absolutely sure of it. The girl’s hair is even darker without the sun’s light in it, but her skin seems to glow from the inside out as though someone lit a match somewhere deep within her. _I want to reach that place_. Clarke shakes herself out the girl-induced stupor when Mr Jaha tells them to stand and follow a very burly man to the center of the gym floor.

“Gustus, here, is our Hero Training specialist. He will be conducting your assignation test today, which will determine your course schedule while studying at Sky High. At this point, I’ll take my leave. Good luck to you all.” When the door slams behind Jaha, Gustus turns to the new students, stroking a hand through his impressive beard. His entire left arm is covered in swirling black tattoos, some of which resemble trees and lakes. _He’s an elemental, Earth and Nature abilities apparently_.

“The test is simple. When I call out your surname, simply come forward and quickly illustrate your power. No dawdling and no lengthy explanations. I will not entertain them. If you require a prop or tool of some kind, we have a large variety to your left. We’ll be moving in reverse alphabetical order.” Gustus then pulls out his list, looking at the bottom name.

“Alexandria Woods, please come forward,” he says, looking around for the first target. Meanwhile, a number of students in the crowd gasp, recognizing the surname. A girl steps forward from the back of the group. _The girl!_ Clarke shivers, suddenly understanding why Alexandria had glared so ardently at her earlier. Alexandria Woods must be the infamous only child of the former elemental power duo of Eve and Inferno. Inferno turned quite nasty in his middle age, becoming one of the most notorious super villains of the last two generations. Clarke’s parents killed him in a battle when she was just two years old.According to rumor, Eve, Alexandria’s mother, went into hiding with her child in order to protect her from scrutiny.

“Lexa, please.” Her voice is smooth, but firm, low and commanding. It sends a spark down Clarke’s spine that she credits to fear. “Alright, Lexa then, get up here please,” Gustus says. Lexa slowly climbs the small staircase leading up to what resembles an elevated wrestling ring. She stands absolutely still for a moment before grabbing Gustus’ clipboard, handing him his list, and then raising it above her head.

Lexa throws it high into the air and it suddenly ignites, a blazing fireball which she then sends in a stream of sparks and heat across the gym, lighting a school flag on fire. Clarke gasps. _So that explains which parents’ power she inherited…_ The rest of the students and even Gustus seem surprised. Fire elementals are highly uncommon, their power unpredictable and dangerous. He looks appraisingly at Lexa for a moment before calling out, “Hero!” Lexa nods once, showing no indication of either happiness or disappointment, walking off the ring and sitting back down on the bleachers.

After Lexa, the tests begin to move much more smoothly with less school property destroyed. Soon it's Raven’s turn. She heaves herself carefully up the steps, huffing a bit when she reaches the ring. Clarke can see her wincing slightly as she turns to face Gustus who looks down at her brace disapprovingly. Something ugly inside of Clarke revs up again, ready to fight this giant man if it meant defending her friend’s honor. “Uh, Mr Gustus, sir, could you grab some of those cogs and wires for me please?” He obliges her, grabbing the tech equipment from the table and laying it at her feet. Raven pulls out her iPhone, focusing her eyes on it as it disassembles. She then manipulates the wires and cogs in quick and confusing motions. Little sparks and zaps arise from her work, but after five minutes she seems done with whatever it is.

“You’re a technopath, then? Let’s have a look. What is it?” Gustus takes the contraption from her. Raven smiles brilliantly and Clarke knows immediately that she has done something really remarkable. “It’s a zap-gun for lack of a better name. Basically, this gun can send rapid-fire vibrations to the target’s brain, momentarily confusing and stunning them, like so—“ Raven takes the gun back and turns it on Gustus. She presses the trigger and Gustus immediately locks up, resembling a human tree trunk. About thirty seconds later he reanimates, shaking his head in confusion, before turning on Raven. “Alright, alright. You’re a hero, but take that infernal contraption apart right now.” He looks down at it in disgust, not surprising considering that most Nature elementals hate technology altogether. She quickly disassembles its parts and reassembles her phone.

Raven sits a ways down from Lexa, glancing over at her nervously. She gives Clarke a cheesy thumbs up, sending an encouraging vibration through Clarke’s phone in her back pocket. Several more students lay between Raven and Jasper who strides forward confidently when his named is called, galloping up the steps. He practically tears his shirt off, making the crowd laugh. Gustus sighs, exasperated. “Let me guess, a shifter,” he asks. Jasper grins, scrunching his face up tight as though attempting to pass a kidney stone instead of changing his species. Clarke doesn't know many shifters. They're fairly uncommon.

Jasper’s body begins to rapidly shrink and, at first, Clarke thinks that he might be transforming into a bird or a snake, but what emerges from his abandoned clothes is, unfortunately, downright hilarious. A dark-haired guinea pig scurries around Gustus’ feet, attempting to make him trip, but failing miserably. Tiny Jasper runs a few more circles before sprouting back up, naked, behind the props table. Gustus grabs his clothes and throws them over to him. “Cover up right now, sidekick,” he says with a slight sneer, returning to his list. Jasper’s face falls, walking over to the bleachers with just his shoes and boxers on.

Monty soon performs his frequency trick, only irritating Gustus further and landing himself next to Jasper as a sidekick. The two appear much happier now that they are both fated to the same status. Then, it's time, whether Clarke likes it or not.

When Gustus calls her name, many of the others begin whispering as they did before with Lexa. The phone in her back pocket buzzes wildly, shocking Clarke into looking back at Raven, but first she meets Lexa’s gaze instead. It's hard. Looking at her is like staring through a brick wall. A second glance at the girl reveals a hitch high in her chest, as though the girl is holding her breath tightly. _But why? Maybe she’s hoping I’ll really drop dead._ Clarke meets Raven’s even gaze, which says soundlessly that regardless of what happens there would be ice cream later.

She climbs the stairs and stands before Gustus who seems oddly eager to appraise her. “You’re Jake’s kid,” he says. Clarke nods, realizing that he expects a very specific set of skills. Her dad is one of the few heroes with multiple powers, both super strength and flight. Her mom’s power is something to write home about as well, incredibly useful to magically heal almost any injury.

An odd calm falls over Clarke as she stares down at her boots before looking back into Gustus’ eyes determinedly. “I’m not showing you anything.” Gustus’ eyes widen, replying, “Oh? And why is that?” Clarke thinks quickly, concocting a lie, “I’m a pacifist. I refuse to use my strength in any situation.” Behind her, Clarke hears two girls cackling. She glances over to see the girl with the facial scar laughing and pointing at Clarke with her friend. “You’re kidding,” Gustus says, “Your dad’s put you up to this prank, right? Just to make my day that bit harder?” Clarke glares at him, “You think I would kid about this? This is what I believe. I’ve seen enough violence growing up with my parents. I like to believe there’s more to being a hero than just surviving based on brawn.” Gustus seems to realize that Clarke is serious. “Well, if you don’t show me some kinda power then you’re not going to be a hero at all.” She swallows, ignoring the murmurs and laughter behind her. Glancing over at the bleachers, she is captured in the shocked look on Lexa’s face. Something has softened in her green eyes, which are wide and watery. Her shoulders slump and Clarke has the feeling that Lexa still hasn’t looked away, even as she turns her own gaze back on Gustus. “So be it then,” she says, throwing her arms open in defeat. Clarke swallows once, briefly mourning her dream, her parents’ dream, the family legacy, before Gustus shouts out, “Sidekick!”

Monty and Jasper just stare at her as she sits down next to them, immediately taking out her phone so that she can text Raven:

 

 **Lana Del Reyes:** I’m proud of you. That sounded like a real political stirrer. The perfect cover up, all that stuff about pacifism and blah blah more than surviving.

 **Griffin-floored:** I do have a way with words. If only that were enough to get me into the hero class…

 **Lana Del Reyes:** Forget it. I think we suck anyway. I mean, look at these two girls.

 

Clarke looks up, paying attention once again to the tests, which are almost done. Gustus is now on ‘A’ last names. He first calls up a girl named Echo Azgeda who performs a series of contortionist moves. She's quickly categorized as a hero before another Azgeda girl is called up — the girl with the scars — Ontari Azgeda.

She climbs up slowly, clearly savoring the attention of being the last one called. _The bitch closes the show. Great._ Gustus waits as she opens her arms, turning both palms upward. A strange ether begins to gather over the entire gym, coalescing into a dark storm cloud. The room turns bitterly cold, Clarke’s breath coming in undeniable puffs of steam, before a clap of thunder echoes overhead. It suddenly begins to pour, actual rain falling in buckets from the enclosed ceiling of the gym. Several students scream shrilly, including Jasper, as the rain soaks their clothes and bags. Gustus yells, “Enough of this! The entire gym will flood if you don’t shut it off. I get it, you’re a hero, now everyone move along to dry off in the locker rooms.” The rain stops at last and Gustus stomps off to his office, wringing out his shirt and ponytail as he goes. Everyone files into the locker rooms while Ontari smiles to herself so aggressively she appears to grind her teeth. She stirs up a warm wind around herself, quickly drying off Echo as well.

“Can you believe that bitch? I mean, at least Lexa’s fireball only affected the hideous school flag, not all our clothes,” Raven says, dripping her hair onto Clarke’s shoulder. “Ew, stop! It’s cold as hell now. I might freeze to death in my sidekick classes.” Raven laughs glumly, “You’d only be so lucky. I can’t believe you’re not going to be with me in classes.” Clarke rubs her back, attempting to inject some warmth back into her friend while also apologizing. What could she have done differently? This is the best case scenario, but she too dreads spending most of her day away from her best friend. 

 

* * *

 

 

The girl’s locker room mostly consists of people wringing their hair out into sinks and redoing their makeup. Most people hadn’t brought a spare set of clothes, so they take turns crouching under the hand-dryers. The exception to this is Lexa who takes a back row locker. She sits on the bench, removing her waterlogged boots and socks. Next, she peels her top off, revealing a dark bicep tattoo and a swirling pattern of black on a tan back, hidden partially under a black bralet.

 _Oh_. Clarke forgets how to turn away. She forgets any and all motor function, actually, ignoring Raven’s unstoppable chatter to just…stare…like a teenage boy. Lexa is toned, but not muscular, maybe a little on the thin side, but pretty much _perfect_. Clarke has always known how to act around girls. In fact, she's better with girls than boys, always getting phone numbers and making them blush, but she’s never been the one to get timid. Except for now.

When Lexa takes off her jeans, it becomes too much for Clarke, whose entire body burns so hot she almost feels like Gustus’ poor clipboard. Lexa is down to just her low-cut underwear and bra, hanging her clothes, shoes and all, off the locker door. She cups her palms around her mouth, blowing gusts of hot air at the garments. Steam rises off them, filling the space with pleasant warmth. _She can blow me any time_.

“Honestly, she could do that to me right now and I’d say thank-you, even if she is a child of satan or whatever, you know? Hey! Earth to Griffin —“ Raven shakes Clarke out of her Lexa-induced stupor. She turns back to her own locker and Raven who is smirking at her. _She got me_. Clarke sighs and shales her head slightly, indicating that she does not want to discuss this right now.

Lexa redresses rapidly, slamming her locker shut before shoving into Clarke’s shoulder on her way out of the room. As she passes, Clarke smells the faintest lavender. It's a clean, crisp scent, one that she is ashamed to admit she wants more of around her. She almost doesn’t care that the girl knocked her into the lockers.

“You do realize she’s bound to be bad news, right Griffin,” Raven asks.

“Obviously. I’m not an idiot,” Clarke says.

“Then why were you giving her those heated, bedroom eyes?” Raven smirks.

 _Busted._ “I was just considering asking her to do the same for our clothes, which would’ve been futile considering the bruise I’ve now got on my shoulder, but oh well,” Clarke explains.

“Sure. That’s exactly what you were thinking. You sure I shouldn’t get that Anya girl in here to verify that?” Raven laughs as Clarke slams her locker. “Shut it, Reyes,” She grumbles.

“Sure thing, but remember what your mom said this morning — ‘don’t go falling in love on your first day at Sky High’?”

“Raven, you can’t really talk — pot calling the kettle black. Octavia nearly made you pass out this morning” Clarke points out.

“Oh, shut up,” Raven whines. Clarke laughs, “Gladly.”

 


End file.
